


Somewhere over the rainbow

by DeepBlueFrog



Category: Love Island (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:28:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25390126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeepBlueFrog/pseuds/DeepBlueFrog
Summary: LITG Season 3, but from AJ's point of view! One chapter = one episode.
Relationships: AJ/Main Character (Love Island)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 34





	1. DAY 1, EPISODE 1 - Here We Go Again

Alright, this is it. Deep breaths, AJ, you’ve got this.

I jump off the jeep and walk towards the Love Island Villa, where I’m about to spend the summer. Or maybe just a few days, if I’m unlucky. Either way, I’ll make the most of it! As I reach the door, one of the camera crew gives me the thumbs up - they’re happy with my entrance. Thank gosh for that, I really don’t feel like doing it again. This will be shown in slow motion once the episode airs, I think. I wasn’t supposed to ACTUALLY walk in slow-mo, was I? That could have been fun. Definitely not the vibe the producers would want to go for though.

The weather is gorgeous, it’s definitely sunnier than Bath. I couldn’t believe it when the producers messaged me on Instagram and asked me to be in this season of Love Island. Who’d have thought a goofy, snapback-wearing hockey player was what they were after? I suspect one of the girls in the team sent them my profile as a joke, but here I am now. Why not, right? This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I can’t say no to a free holiday.

The door of the villa creaks open. This is exactly how I imagined it would be like. 

‘Helloooooo. Is anybody here?’

No response. Awesome! I’m the first one in. Following the neon signs plastered all over the villa, I end up in the communal bedroom. Eight double beds are lined up and neatly made. This is giving me major summer camp vibes, minus the terrible mattresses. I look left, then right. With no one in sight, I salmon onto every single bed. Gotta test ’em before you buy ‘em. 

A muffled cough interrupts me. A dark-haired, curly girl is standing right by the bed I’m currently flopping on. Is it too late to act cool? I attempt a commando roll off the bed but land on my back. Ouch.

‘Alright there? she asks, with a slight Welsh accent.’

She offers me her hand and helps me up. Her palm is warm. For a second, our eyes meet. 

‘Hey, I say. This… isn’t what it looks like.

‘I’m not even sure what it looks like, babes, she says, laughing. I’m Elladine. What’s your name?’

‘AJ. So, what do you do?’

That’s the normal thing to ask here, right? Might as well get to know each other if we’re going to spend the summer together.

‘I’m a glassblower. Don’t, she says, I’ve heard them all.’

‘Fair enough. I’m a professional hockey player myself.’

‘No way, that’s so cool! That explains the abs then,’ she adds.

She’s beautiful, but I’m not picking up ‘the vibe’. Best not to count her as an option in here. The door creaks again.

‘I think someone else is here!’. Elladine is just squealing in excitement.

Before I’ve had a chance to react, Elladine just runs off to meet the new arrival. It’s another girl (duh). I can’t really hear what they’re saying, but I can hear her voice. It sounds deep and husky. I hear the clicking sound of two pairs of heels on the floor tiles. Elladine comes back in, followed by the new arrival.

Wow.

I mean…

_Wow._

She’s stunning. Confidently, she walks over to me, her black curls bouncing to the rhythm of her steps. Now I’m getting major hair envy. Who has hair like that in real life?

‘Are you the new arrival? Man, I knew everyone here was gonna be gorgeous, but I wasn’t prepared…’

Wait, did I say all this out loud? I feel like I’m just mumbling to myself at this point. Gosh, nothing like a pretty girl to make me lose my cool. This is Love Island, AJ! Be chill!

‘Stop staring and introduce yourself!’ Elladine says, interrupting my train of thoughts.

‘Sorry, sorry! My name’s AJ. It’s nice to meet you.’

‘I’m Dallas.’

Of course she is. What did I think her name was gonna be, Mary? No way a girl like her would have a common name.

‘We were just talking outside. She’s really nice’, Elladine adds, as if she needed to vouch for her.

Time to pray to the bisexual gods, I think to myself. Please be into girls. Please, please, please be into girls. Wait, they’re clearly waiting for me to say something now.

‘I hope everyone’s going to be cool. I don’t want to get sucked into a load of drama. I mean, we’re all here to have fun, right?’

_Right?_

‘Yeah!’ Dallas says. ‘Let’s keep it chill and friendly. Trust me, we’re gonna have a great time. You’re my girls now, and I don’t let my girls turn on each other.’

Phew. I’m really not a huge fan of drama.

‘Yes! I’m so glad you said that’, I reply. That’s what I love about my teammates back home. We never mess around arguing about who passed the ball to who, or whatever. We just get on with it. I want you all to be like my new teammates while we’re in here.’

_And maybe a little more._

‘What do you do on the outside, Dallas?’ Elladine asks.

‘I’m a musician, actually.’

Have I seen her somewhere? I wonder how famous she is.

‘I _love_ musicians’, Elladine replies. ‘If I find out one of the boys is in a band, I’m going to make a beeline straight for him.’

Definitely straight, that one. Great to see my gaydar is half-functional. A strange beep resonates in the half-empty bedroom. It sounds like it’s coming from one of the beds. Dallas is the first one to react.

‘What was that?’

‘It sounded like a text…’, Elladine whispers.

Oh wait, I think that’s me. Jumping on all four, I retrieve my phone from under one of the beds. I guess it fell off when I was testing the mattresses.

‘Oh, it’s me!’ I shout, brandishing the retrieved phone. ‘I’ve got a text!’

So exciting to be the first one to say it out loud! Somehow, it all feels more real now too. Slowly, I read out the text.

**Girls, it’s time to start meeting the boys. AJ, please make your way to the lawn and choose a boy to couple up with. Elladine and Dallas, stand by in the bedroom. You’ll be up next! #girlmeetsboy #getthepartystarted**

I’m first to choose! But also, wait, I’m confused. 

‘What? But the other girls still haven’t arrived yet!’ I say, puzzled.

‘I guess they’ll be coming in later?’, Elladine suggests.

‘I’d better go then’, I say. ‘I’ll see you out there guys.’

‘Good luck!’ Elladine shouts as I race out of the bedroom.

I can’t believe I have the first pick of the boys! What a treat. As I make my way to the lawn, five boys are lined up by the pool. First up is a dark-skinned guy, who introduces himself as Nicky in a very casual way. I love how chill he seems to be. He seems like the type of guy who’d whip out a guitar on a beach, but without being obnoxious and playing Wonderwall, so that’s a plus. He’s giving me big brother vibes though. So maybe not.

Next up is a pretty gorgeous bearded guy with a man-bun. 

‘Hey, I’m Seb. It’s nice to meet you’, he says.

Scouse, then. He’s not overly confident, but not shy either. He’s cute though. Maybe he’s trying to act mysterious. It’s working for me, I’ve always had a thing for slightly older men. There might be something there. He goes on to say he owns a music shop.

I turn to the next in line, and a ripped, smiley boy waves at me.

‘Hola. I’m Camilo. How are you doing?’

I smile back at him. Gosh, those abs. He’s proper sculpted and just my type. But he also looks like everything I promised myself I’d avoid before I walked in - the unapologetically handsome jock. I dated a couple of guys from the men’s section of our hockey team in the last year, so I know what I’m talking about.

A blond dude speaks out.

‘Alright love? I’m Bill.’

Bill is your classic tradie, and it shows. He seems nice, but not my type. He’ll definitely be right for someone though, I can tell. Last boy in line is Harry. He’s standing awkwardly, one hand behind his neck. He seems quite young, a bit like a uni fresher. He steps forward, mumbles his name then steps back again. Clearly, neither of us is attracted to the other. That works for me.

‘The boy I want to couple up with is… Seb!’ I finally announce.

I nearly picked Camilo, but I’m not here to repeat past mistakes when it comes to boys. Maybe this is the perfect place to try something new. Seb smiles faintly as I walk over to him. 

‘Good stuff’ he says.

‘Are you happy I picked you?’ I ask, playfully.

‘I dunno’, he responds. ‘We literally met five minutes ago, mate. Ask me again tomorrow.’

I frown a little. Of course it’s been five minutes, mate, but a little bit of positivism goes a long way, especially in a place like this.

‘I do think you’re cute, of course’, he adds.

Before I can open my mouth, Elladine appears. She introduces herself before checking out all the boys. Nicky introduces himself as a musician. Clever move. Elladine now seems to have forgotten about the other boys, and immediately picks him. Good on her, they seem pretty well-suited.

Next out is Dallas. Time seems to stop for a second as she walks over to the boys confidently. This will never get old. Seems like the boys are feeling the same way too. The vibe has changed, and all eyes are on her now. It’s all quiet of all a sudden. Maybe I should say something?

I can’t think of something clever to say, and I’m no good with words anyway, so I just give her a thumbs up. Bill breaks the silence first.

‘Alright beautiful? I’m Bill. I’m gonna come right out and say it. You look like a bit of me.’

Straight to the point. She seems into him, before turning to the next boy in line.

‘Hola chica. Welcome to the villa. It’s amazing, isn’t it?’

Camilo gives her a smouldering look. I bet that’s his signature move.

‘Is it?’, Dallas asks, unfazed.

‘Well, it is now you’re there.’

Such a line. But also something I could have said too. Fair play, Camilo.

‘Sorry’, Camilo adds. ‘That was really cheesy. It’s just, I think me and Bill had the exact same reaction… So I thought I should try and fancy it up a bit.’

Dallas takes a few second to answer.

‘Hey, that’s cool’ she replies. ‘The feeling is mutual’.

She gives him a disarming smile. He blushes. So do I, but I’m not sure why. 

‘Hey. I’m Harry. For what it’s worth, I’m just as gobsmacked as these other two. But I won’t try and sway you. You’ve got to listen to your gut. Or your heart. Or like, whatever part of your body you trust to make these decisions.’

Dallas seems unimpressed and only gives him a polite smile. Yeah, no way she’s picking him. She clears her throat.

‘The boy I want to couple up with is…’

Her amber eyes meet mine for a second.

‘…Camilo!’

Camilo is chuffed. I can’t blame him. Dallas strides over to him, and plants a kiss on his cheek. That is one hot couple.

‘Nice one’, he says, blushing a little. ‘I’m so glad you picked me’.

‘Did I make the right decision?’, Dallas asks.

‘Definitely. But I would say that, wouldn’t I?’

_Yes you would, Camilo._

‘Hey girl!’ Elladine says. ‘Congratulations! You really bagged yourself a hottie here. Um, no offence, Nicky.’

‘None taken’ he smiles. ‘Hi, by the way. I’m Nicky. I’m the lucky guy who’s coupled up with Elladine.’

‘I told you I’d get myself a musician, didn’t I babes?’ Elladine beams, clinging to Nicky’s arm. ‘I’ve already got a good feeling about this.’

Already? Aw man. It feels like I’m the only one who hasn’t really connected with the guy I’m coupled up with. I mean, we did get off to a bad start. Seb looks at me expectantly, as if he’s waiting for me to say something.

‘Er, yeah. Me too.’, I mumble. 

Seb steps forward.

‘Alright? My name’s Seb. I’m coupled up with AJ.’

‘I coupled up with a musician too!’ I add.

‘Well, no’ Seb winces. ‘I’m a shopkeeper.’

‘But you must know about instruments to sell them, right?’, I insist.

‘It’s not that kind of music shop. I sell records. You know, CDs and vinyl and stuff. There’s a coffee shop, too,’ he explains.

‘Oh! With you now, sorry!’, I say.

Ah, he’s such a hipster. The man bun should have been a dead giveaway.

‘This is so nice, you guys!’ I add, steering the conversation away from Seb’s shop. ‘We’re already learning so much about each other!’

‘Woah there’, Nicky says. ‘We’re still waiting on two more new girls, right?’

‘Yeah’, Elladine adds. ‘I wonder what they’ll be like?’

‘I can’t wait to meet them!’ Dallas smiles. ‘We’re not a complete Villa crew until everyone’s here.’

‘Right!’ I agree. ‘I’m excited for them to get here.’

‘You’re not the only ones’ Nicky says, nodding towards Bill and Harry.

Bill is looking down, staring at his feet, and Harry is puffing his chest, but he’s not fooling me, or anyone. 

‘I feel bad for them’ I say. ‘Nobody wants to get picked last.’

‘Yeah, and it’s pretty obvious they both wanted to get picked by Morocco…’ Elladine trails off.

Well yeah. I can’t blame them. Dallas doesn’t reply. Her face is hard to read - she doesn’t seem overly cocky, but she’s calm. Clearly, having multiple guys pining after her isn’t a first. 

‘Well’ I start, ‘maybe their perfect soulmates are about to walk out of that door any second.’

‘Let’s not kid ourselves, Seb grumbles. ‘That kind of thing never happens in the real world.’

Seb seems determined to destroy every ounce of positivity left in me at this point. Gosh, he really is a downer. I’m less and less sure I’ve made the right choice now.

‘Alright, but this isn’t exactly a normal situation, is it?’ Nicky says. ‘It’s Love Island. Where dreams come true.’

‘Wow, corny,’ Seb replies.

‘Come on, mate. The magic only works if you believe in it.’

‘Maybe that’s why nothing magical ever happens to me.’

‘Nicky’s right’, Dallas says to interrupt them. ‘I can’t wait for whatever’s on the horizon!’

‘That’s the spirit’, Nicky smiles.

I hear the door again, and turn around just in time to see a small, pale girl making her away out of the villa. 

‘Hi everyone!’, she says. ‘It’s so exciting to be here. I mean this is Love Island, where dreams come true, right?’

Woah. Has she been listening to us the whole time? Is the villa _bugged_? Without drawing any attention to me, I start looking around for bugs, before I remember we’re on a reality tv show. Of course there are tons of bugs. And cameras. 

‘At first i was like, what happens if I totally don’t like any of the boy who are left?’, Miki says. ‘But now i see the two beautiful boys you’ve left for me to choose from… I don’t know why I was worried.’

I feel like she’s gonna pick Harry. They look like they’d be a good match. She looks kind of quirky. She turns to Bill.

‘What’s your name, handsome?’

‘It’s Bill. Pleased to meet you, love.’

‘You seem like a rugged, down-to-earth kind of guy, Bill. And they say opposites attract. Fancy being coupled up with an offbeat, creative type like me?’

Bill smiles.

‘I’m not exactly going to say no, am I? Beautiful girl asks if you want to couple up, you say yes. Basic common sense, isn’t it.’

Miki laughs.

‘I’ll take that as a yes.’

Oops, I was wrong. She walks over to him, and place her hand in his. Before they could say anything else, the fifth and final girl comes out of the villa.

‘Hello, darlings’ she says in a melodious voice. ‘How are we all doing?’

Pretty. She’s giving me mom vibes, though. As in, ‘mom of the group’ vibes. Like the kind of girl who’d make sure you get home after a night out, or check whether you’ve eaten that day. Definitely not one to start some drama on day 1, so I’m pretty sure she’ll pick Harry, even if she doesn’t like him. I can’t be wrong this time, right?

Surely enough, Genevieve walks over to Harry.

‘What’s your name, sweetie?’

‘Sweetie. Er, I mean… Harry. It’s Harry.’

Harry blushes. Bless him, he’s not nearly as confident as he’s trying to appear. Genevieve responds with an endeared smile.

‘Lovely to meet you, Harry. How lucky am I that nobody got to you first?’

She hugs him. Hm. What would their couple’s name be? Harrieve? Generry? None of these work. Before I can come up with any more ideas, Elladine speaks up.

‘I think that’s everyone.’

‘Five great ladies, five great gents, five great couples. Makes sense to me’, Bill says.

Everyone else is nodding.

‘Don’t you think it’s a bit early to say whether our couples are great or not?’, I say.

Surely not _everyone_ is dead set on their current partner already?

‘I dunno. I’ve already got a pretty great feeling about this one’, Camilo smiles. 

‘Well, it’s not a competition’, Miki says.

‘It sort of is, though’, Nicky replies. ‘Only the strongest couple can win the fifty grand.’

Dallas puts one hand on Camilo’s shoulder.

‘Well based on first impressions, I think me and Camilo will be the strongest couple here’, she says with a mysterious smile.

She doesn’t sound like she’s boasting though; more like she’s challenging us all. Game on. Camilo does seem to have missed the nuance.

‘Not to bang my own drum or anything, but hard agree.’

‘I can’t lie, you two do look cute together’, Elladine says.

‘All I meant was, it might be a competition, but it doesn’t really matter who wins. We’re all just here to find love, right?’, Miki asks.

Dallas is the first to answer.

‘This is the holiday of a lifetime. Love is great and winning is fine, but why put so much pressure on it? If all I get from this is a few cool new friends, I’ll count myself as a winner.’

Gosh, this is a girl after my own heart.

‘Wow, yes’, I say. ‘Dallas just said it better than I ever could.’

Our eyes meet again for a moment. She bites her bottom lip. Wait, is she flirting with me? I’m so bad at picking up signals like that. A phone goes off. It’s Genevieve’s.

‘Oh my days, you guys! I’ve got a text.’

She then proceeds to read it out. 

**Islanders, it’s time to get to know each other a little better. Please make your way to the challenge platform and get ready to unpack some secrets about your fellow islanders! #excessbaggage #gettingtoknowyou**

Seb grumbles.

‘We’ve only just got here and we’re already being challenged? I was hoping we could get a nap in first. I’m a little peckish, too.’

Why can’t he be at least a little excited? 

‘Me too!’, Dallas replies. ‘I was saying to Elladine, I’d love some kind of snack.’

You’re quite the snack yourself, I nearly say. 

‘Maybe I’m the kind of snack you’re after’, Camilo whispers, though it’s loud enough for everyone else to hear.

Maybe I should have picked Camilo. We definitely have the same sense of humour.

‘That’s not the kind of snack I mean’, Dallas says, a puzzled look on her face.

‘A little nap would be just the ticket’ Seb insists.

‘I hate to sound like a stuck record, mate, but it’s Love Island. You have seen this show before, right? You didn’t just get off at the wrong bus stop and end up here by mistake? Because if that’s what happened, the sooner you admit it, the less awkward it’s going to be’, Nicky teases him.

Elladine puts her hand on his arm.

‘Aw, stop teasing him. He just needs a bit of time to get used to it, that’s all.’

‘The challenges are just a bit of fun! It’ll help us get closer as a group’, Camilo says.

‘More importantly, we’ll find out everyone’s saucy secrets’, Bill smirks. 

‘Well that too, I guess…’, Camilo replies, looking down. 

‘Don’t get me wrong’, Bill adds. ‘I’ve got nothing to hide. But I’m excited to find out what the rest of you are holding back.’

At this point, I’m not sure how much I want everyone else to learn all my secrets. Especially since I have no idea which one the producers have included. Harry finally speaks up.

‘That’s true, but we’re not just here to mess around and relax, or dig up gossip on each other.’

‘We’re not?’ I say, tentatively. 

That’d be a relief. No need to let anyone know about some of my escapades behind the hockey pitches. Or the bridesmaid thing. Gosh, I forgot about the bridesmaid thing.

‘No!’, Harry replies. ‘We’re here on an important mission! To find someone we love. It’s serious business. The challenge will focus and get us ready for the road ahead.’

Woah. Bit intense pal. Harry seems sweet, but at this point I’m pretty convinced he’s not the one for me. Neither is Seb, based on first impressions, so who knows what’ll happen?

‘Bill’s right’, Dallas says with a smile. ‘This is a great chance to expose all our best and worst stories. I bet we’ve all got some really juicy ones, too?’

I wonder what her secret is. I could see it being some fan-related drama. I bet she’s got loads, so it wouldn’t surprise me if she had a secret admirer. Or maybe it’s about her hair? No one’s hair looks that good without some kind of sorcery involved.

‘Well, there’s only one way to find out’, Elladine says.

‘Let’s go!’, Genevieve shouts.

‘Woo!’ Miki shrieks. ‘I can’t wait!’

Excitingly, I start running with the others to the platform. Seb is right behind me, slightly dragging his heels. Over my shoulder, I can see Dallas and Camilo, hanging back to have a chat. For a moment, their faces are so close it looks like they’re about to kiss. All of sudden, Dallas pulls away and starts running to the platform too, closely followed by Camilo.


	2. DAY 1 EPISODE 2 - Excess baggage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This still follows the canon storyline, but I'm slowly starting to move away from the game's dialogue... which hopefully should help me create more drama! Let me know what you all think :)

The challenge platform is much smaller than it looked on TV. Bit disappointing. A huge luggage carousel, like the ones they had at the airport, is taking most of the space. Elladine does a quick head count. We’re all here, apart from Dallas and Camilo. 

‘I wonder what they’re up to’, Miki smirks.

‘Clearly these two are a good match already’, Nicky says with a smile.

Yeah… Lucky them, I guess. I look over to Seb, who quickly avoids my gaze and looks down on his feet. Definitely not the best start, but maybe I should play the cards I’ve been dealt and give this a real go. First impressions can’t be everything, right? Finally, Dallas and Camilo arrive at the platform, both out of breath.

‘You too had a bit of a workout then?’ Bill winks.

The others laugh, but he’s not fooling me. He can barely keep his composure - I can tell he’d drop Miki on the spot if he was given the chance to swap places with Camilo. I can’t blame him, really, I know I would too; but I choose to keep my mouth shut.

‘Finally!’ Elladine says. ‘I’ve got a text!’ she adds, as her phone beeps.

She reads it in silence for a second, then puts her phone on the side and claps her hands.

‘Right, seems easy enough’, she announces. ‘Boys vs girls. Each suitcase contains a secret, and the person who picks it up must kiss the person they think it’s about.’

‘What’s the prize?’ Harry asks.

‘It doesn’t say anything about a prize’, Elladine says after checking her phone one more time.

Harry grumbles. We get it pal, you’re all about winning. I try not to roll my eyes; Genevieve, on the other hand, doesn’t bother trying, and even throws in a scoff for good measure.

‘Does it matter?’ she says. ‘Come on Harry, we’re here to have fun, not everything has to be a competition.’

Harry winces but doesn’t say anything. This makes me feel slightly better about my own situation ) at least I’m not the only one who’s been mismatched. Well, I haven’t been mismatched actually, I chose Seb myself, and clearly he’s rubbing off me already. I need to stop being so negative. The girls at home would want me to have fun, and this is exactly what I’m going to do. Whether it’s with Seb… or someone else.

‘Well I’m excited to find out all the gossip’ Dallas says. ‘I wonder what secrets everyone’s hiding’ she adds, glancing at me with a smile.

I blush slightly. The things I’d do for that smile.

‘I just want to test the goods’, Miki answers with a smile. ‘Seriously, give me one reason why I shouldn’t go and kiss whoever I fancy.’

Miki’s here for the drama, I can tell. Her eyes flick between Bill, Harry and Seb. She maintains eye contact with Seb just a little longer, and I suddenly feel a hint of jealousy. Not because I like him (who knows about that yet), but mostly because he’s mine. I used to laugh at how possessive people get on Love Island, but I get it now. I don’t want anyone to take Seb just yet, because I don’t want to leave. Not yet. Not until I have a backup plan, one that hopefully involves Dallas. 

_AJ, you’re getting way ahead of yourself._

‘You won’t win if you just kiss whoever you want’, Harry says.

‘I won’t, but I’ll sure have a great time’, Miki winks.

‘As long as it’s me…’ Bill smirks

He hasn’t noticed that he wasn’t the only one Miki was looking at, bless him. It was so obvious that even I noticed it, so maybe he’s just ignoring it. By this point, I’m excited to see how this is going the play out. The carousel belt starts moving.

‘Let’s get started!’ I say excitingly. ‘Who wants to go first?’

‘Go on then’, Genevieve answers as she picks up the first suitcase.

Inside is a small, blue envelope. It looks like the ones they use to announce the winners in game shows. Or the one they use at beauty pageants. Is Steve Harvey about to pop out? Probably not, but I still have a quick look around, just in case. Genevieve opens the envelope and reads out its contents.

‘This boy once woke up spooning a badger’ she says in a clear voice.

So cute! I wonder what Genevieve does in real life. She sounds like she could be a teacher right now, putting on her reading voice. Suddenly, I’m sent back to school, and I have flashbacks of every teacher I ever had a crush on.

‘Ew, that’s gross’ Elladine says.

‘Is it? I think it’s adorable!’ I say.

‘I have to agree here’, Miki replies.

‘I can think of better things to be spooning’, Dallas whispers, just loud enough for me to hear.

Wait, is she flirting with me?

‘Come on lads, fess up’, Bill says. ‘Who was it?’

‘I think you’re missing the point of the game here’ Harry comments.

The girls huddle closer.

‘Right, cute or not, who do we think it is?’ Genevieve asks. 

‘Well, who would you rather kiss?’ Miki says with a smile.

‘I think it could be Nicky’, Dallas suggests, ignoring Miki’s comment.

That’s a good shout.

‘I can see it! He’s got a mother hen vibe to him’, I say, nodding.

  
‘So are we set on Nicky?’ Genevieve asks.

All the girls nod.

‘Right, who’s gonna kiss him then?’ Genevieve says.

All eyes are on Elladine. She’s with him, so she has first dibs after all.

‘Go on then, I will.’

She walks over to him, and he smiles as soon as he realises what’s about to happen. Gently, Elladine wraps her arms around his neck and stands up on her toes to reach his lips. Nicky’s hands immediately find their way to her hips as they melt into the kiss. It’s brief, but yet so tender. It looks like they’ve done this a million times already. For a second, everyone is silent, even Bill. At this point, I’d expect him to shout ‘lads lads lads!’ but he’s still keeping his mouth shut. As their lips part, Elladine and Nicky both smile.

‘Did we get it right?’ she asks him.

Nicky steps forward.

‘How did you guess it?’

‘Some of us had a hunch’, Elladine replies, winking at Dallas. 

‘Well go on then, what’s the story?’ Bill asks.

‘Well first of all, it was a baby badger. It was a really cold night, so it must have found its way into my flat, and it was all cuddled up to me when I woke up.’

In unison, all the girls go ‘awwww’. Elladine has a silly smile on her face. I bet she wishes she was that badger right now.

‘So what did you do next?’ Camilo asks.

‘I just fed him then took him to my local vet. They sent me regular updates for a while, up until they actually released him.’

‘That is adorable’, Genevieve says. ‘And one point for the girls.’

Dallas lunges for the next suitcase and reads out the note inside.

‘This boy got caught having sex at work.’

‘Oi oi!’ Bill shouts.

Juicy. I wonder who that is. Definitely not Harry; I can see him as the kind of guy who knows every single workplace health and safety rule - and won’t break them under any circumstances. That leaves Bill, Seb, Camilo and Nicky. I doubt it’s Nicky - they wouldn’t include two of his secrets in a row, would they?

Part of me hopes it’s Seb. Getting it on between a mountain of boxes full of vinyl in the stock room sounds like something I could get behind. But also, he seems a bit too responsible to do this. Once again, the girls huddle up together.

‘That’s quite a saucy one’, Elladine blushes.

  
‘Who do we think this is?’ Miki asks.

‘Well, I have my theories…’ I start, ready to explain my thinking.

‘I’ll bet that’s Camilo’, Dallas says.

Without waiting for any of us to respond, she strides towards him. He grins as her left hand cups the back of his neck, while her right hand rests on his left pec. As he wraps his arms around her waist, she pulls him in for a passionate kiss. While Elladine and Nicky’s kiss was tender, this one spells lust, like they can’t get enough of each other. I look down on my feet. Everyone else cheers in encouragement, though Bill’s heart isn’t in it. Same buddy, same.

After what feels like an eternity, Dallas pulls away, not without kissing Camilo’s neck first.

‘More of that later, if you’re good’ she says with a flirtatious smile.

Camilo is speechless at first. Bill and Seb pat him in the back.

‘Get in mate! Did the girls get it right?’ Seb says.

‘Not sure it really matters anymore’, Miki replies with a smile.

Camilo steps forward.

‘Sounds like the girls are getting another point!’ Camilo says, still red from the kiss. ‘It was in the backroom of my parents’ shop, which is basically like my house.’

‘Come on mate, tell us more’ Bill says.

‘I don’t kiss and tell’, Camilo winks. ‘All I’ll say is, it got messy really quickly when we tipped the shelf containing all the milk bottles. The entire shop smelt like dairy for days.’

‘Remind me to never shop there’, Harry winces.

Knew it. There’s no way it could have been Harry. Miki picks up the next suitcase.

‘This boy rescued a cat stuck in a tree. I wonder who’s a cat person here?’

As the girls huddle together, Genevieve says, confidently:

‘Seb’s a cat person for sure.’

‘But would he climb in a tree for one? Elladine asks, skeptical.

‘It could be Bill, I guess’, Dallas says, without any convictions.

‘Well, I think it’s Seb’, Miki says. ‘Plus I’m the one who picked up the envelope, so that’s got to count for something, right?’

‘Who’s gonna kiss him then?’ Elladine says, looking at me.

She’s giving me a chance to kiss him before Miki does! The girls look at me expectantly.

‘Alright then, I will.’

Miki looks a bit deflated. Tough luck. I walk over to Seb, he smiles lightly. Stroking his hair, I lean forward and our lips meet. It’s gentle at first, as he traces a finger along my jaw. With his free hand, he pulls me closer as his lips part slightly and our tongues touch. Maybe we do have a bit of chemistry after all. Suddenly, he pulls away and blushes.

‘So you guessed it, it was me.’

His eyes avoid my gaze. Did I do something wrong? 

‘Can’t cats get down by themselves?’ Genevieve asks.

‘This one was only little’ Seb explained.

‘Well Seb clearly loves cats’, Dallas laughs as she picks up another suitcase.

Clearly, she’s keen to keep things moving along. This one is about a boy who flew a date to Rome.

‘So, we’re all in agreement it’s Harry?’ Dallas says.

‘What do you mean?’ I ask.

Did I miss the part where we discuss it first?

‘He’s the only one who’s extra enough to do something like this, I reckon’, Miki says.

‘Genevieve, do you want to take this one?’ Dallas asks.

‘Why not?’ she answers.

She only gives him a peck. I can tell he’s a little disappointed. Camilo steps forward.

‘It was me actually!’

‘I knew I’d picked a good one’, Dallas smirks.

The game continues, except it’s the boys’ turn now. Seb picks up the first suitcase.

‘This girl once cooked breakfast in bed for a guy she had just met and set his kitchen on fire’.

Bill whistles. Camilo winces.

‘Bloody hell, that’s bad.’

This isn’t me, but I did accidentally flood a girl’s bathroom when I tried to run her a bath. How relatable, though. I look at the girls. Can’t be Dallas, she’s too cool for this. Genevieve? Too much of an adult. I bet she’s never burnt a thing in her life. Miki or Elladine, perhaps? 

Seb walks over to Elladine.

‘We’re pretty confident we’ve got it right’, he smiles.

He plants a shy kiss on her lips, still avoiding my gaze.

‘Alright fess up, who was it?’ Miki says.

‘It was me’, Elladine blushes as she steps forward. ‘I really didn’t mean to though! I was trying to make us breakfast, and before I knew it the bread in the toast caught fire. I was so embarrassed I never saw the guy again.’

‘Maybe I should be worried’ Nicky laughs.

The game continues. Nicky grabs another suitcase from the conveyor belt.

‘This girl hooked up with chief bridesmaid at her cousin’s wedding’, he reads. 

Not my proudest achievement, but she was hot. Memories come rushing back: her smiling at me as my cousin was reciting her vows, the way she accidentally brushed against me during the reception, the nod she gave me so I’d follow her outside, how her breathing accelerated when I unzipped her dress… Before I know it, Nicky is standing inches away from me, interrupting my daydreaming session. He leans forward and smooches me. Sexiness points: zero.

‘What gave it away?’ I ask.

‘I don’t know, I just had a feeling’, he replies.

I look around to gauge everyone’s reaction. Seb’s expression is blank. Dallas shoots me a knowing smile.

‘How could you tell though?’ Miki asks. ‘Surely you can’t tell someone’s relationship history just by looking at them.’

‘You’d be surprised’, I reply, winking at Dallas.

This is it. Time to find out if it’s all in my head or if I can actually consider Dallas as an option. After what seems to be an eternity, she winks back at me.

Thank you, bisexual gods!

‘What was that?’ says Miki, completely oblivious.

‘It’s a code for girls who like girls’, Dallas replies. ‘You know, like a secret handshake.’

Mind. Blown. There’s a secret handshake?!

‘Wow, there’s a secret handshake? You have to teach it to me!’ I shout.

‘Shh’, Dallas whispers as she leans towards. ‘Let’s keep Miki guessing a little.’

Her hand lingers on my back. A shiver passes down my spine. _Control yourself, AJ._

The game continues. Camilo wrongly things Dallas was interrupted by her boyfriend’s family as she was performing a birthday striptease for him, but it turns out to be Genevieve. Truth be told, the guy probably just wanted another excuse to kiss her. Harry picks up another suitcase. I’m a bit bored at this point, but I really want to see what Dallas may be hiding.

‘This girl once spent three nights at a famous pop singer’s house’, Harry reads out.

This has got to be Dallas, right? She’s a musician too, she must have met him through her producer or something. I wonder who the singer is? Harry walks over to Miki confidently and leans in for a kiss. Their noses bump as they both tilt their head to the same side, but that doesn’t stop Miki from trying to make the most of it. Pulling Harry closer, she runs her hand through his chest and bites his lip as she pulls away. Genevieve doesn’t say anything, but I can tell she’s annoyed. Bill scoffs.

As I predicted, Dallas steps forward.

‘It was me.’

‘Oh my god, who was it?’ Elladine shrieks.

‘I’m afraid I’m not allowed to say’, Dallas responds.

‘Lucky bloke’, Bill utters.

‘Who said it was a guy?’, Dallas winks.

Before anyone has a chance to say anything else, the next suitcase arrives. Camilo grabs it and pulls out a pink envelope. His eyes widen as he reads out its contents.

‘This girl has been proposed to six times but never said yes’.

The guys huddle together. 

‘That’s got to be Dallas’, Elladine says.

‘I’m hard to pin down…’ she says, looking at me as she pauses, ‘but this isn’t about me.’

‘Nor me’, adds Genevieve.

No one else speaks.

‘Come on’ I say, ‘it has to be one of us.’

No one comes forward. The boys still look baffled. Suddenly, the conveyor belts start moving again, and a large suitcase appear. Like, unusually large. 

‘I have a text!’ Camilo says. ‘I’m supposed to open it’.

As he pulls the zipper down, a gorgeous short-haired girl steps out. Grabbing onto Camilo’s arm, she props herself up. 

‘How’s it going everyone? I’m Iona!’

Suddenly I feel very sorry for Iona. How awful it is that she’s had to travel inside a suitcase when the rest of us had seats allocated? 

‘Are you ok?’ I ask. ‘How was your flight? It must have been so uncomfortable in there!’

Everyone is looking at you. Seb shakes his head.

‘Erm, I had a seat on the plane, I only got in the suitcase like five minutes ago.’

Oh. I see. This is awkward.

‘Right, yeah, of course’ I mumble.

‘I guess that you’re secret then’, Camilo says.

  
Iona gets in there first though. She abruptly pulls Camilo towards her and kisses him passionately. Her hands all over him, and slowly, his are all over her too. That kiss is very over the top. Everyone turns towards Dallas. She doesn’t say anything but I can tell she’s fuming.

As we all make our way back to the villa, Dallas and Iona hang back, then head straight to the roof terrace. Let’s hope this doesn’t turn into a nasty argument. The rest of us walk towards the pool. Bill runs then jumps in, splashing Nicky and Elladine. Genevieve pulls Miki to the side, towards the lounger. I can just about hear what they’re saying.

‘Would you like to tell me what that was about?’ Genevieve asks.

Her voice is sharp. She has the same tone a teacher would have while asking a student whether they’d cheated on a test, knowing full well they had.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. It was just a challenge’.

Miki’s attempt to brush it off isn’t too convincing. Genevieve’s eyes darken.

‘Listen up, Miki…’ she starts.

Suddenly, I feel a tap on my shoulder. It’s Seb.

‘Can we talk?’ he asks.

Just as we’re about to get up, Iona and Dallas come back, and so do Miki and Genevieve. I wonder how the rest of their conversation went. The discussion switches to Iona’s failed proposals. She describes them, and I can’t help but feel sorry for the guys. I’m sure it meant something to them. A text interrupts her recollection of proposal number 5. Her face drops.

‘What does it say?’ Camilo says.

‘It says I’ll have to pick a boy tonight.’


End file.
